Antifriction bearing



Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITE manA JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOB. TO W. H. MINER, INC., F

CHICAGO; ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE i ANTIIERICTION BEARINGThis invention relates to anti-friction bearings.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple, .practical andeiiicient anti-friction bearing, especially adapted for railway car sidebearings, in which the parts are so arranged that the anti-frictionelement is automatically returned to normal centered position when freefrom load.y n A1o Another object of the invention is to provide a sidebearing including a retainer provided with an adjustable bearing plateuponv which an anti-friction element is adapted to move to either sideof central position, to- V gether with centering means which yieldablyoperate to return said anti-friction element to central position whenfree from load, and which serve to'maintain said element'in assembledrelation .with said retainer, Vsaid centeringmeans beingdetachable topermit removal of said` antifriction element and gain access to thebearing plate forthe pur-` pose of adjustingthe same.

Other and further objects of the invention will more clearly appear fromthe description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is avertical sectional view taken through the ends of the body and 3o truckbolsters of a railway car, showing my invention in connection therewithin vertical section. Fig. 2'is a top plan view of the bearingillustrated in Fig. 1, showing the same detached from the truck bolster.And Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the bearing takensubstantially upon the line 3 3 of Fig. L1. .1

In said drawings 10 denotes the underside of the body bolster rand 11the upper side of the corresponding truck bolster of a railway car. Theimproved side bearingis shown as applied to the truck bolster andcomprises broadly a mounting or retainer Agand adjustable bearingplateB, an anti-friction element C; vand centering means D.

As shown in the drawings, the housing or retainer A comprises agenerally boxlike member -having side walls 20--20 and end walls 21-21,and a bottom 22, the bottom being provided with upstanding extensions`223-23 providing a central compartment'24V for the bearing plate B.The. side walls 20-20 of said housing are inwardly oifset to- Vward eachother as indicated at 25--25 to provide at each side of the housing onthe interior thereof, oppositely disposed abutments 26-26 and 2727. Theend walls 21-21 of the housing are vertically arranged and are similarexcept for their opposite disposition, each of said end walls beingprovidedk with a semi-circular chamber 28 open at thetop, formed byoffsetting each end wall outwardly as indicated at 29,'the inner face ofthe end wall of each oset being provided with a rounded protuberanceadapted for cooperation with the centering means as hereinafterdescribed. The housing A also is provided with laterally extending lugs31-31 adjacent the opposite ends through `which may be extended rivets32-32which serve to secure the housing A to the truck bolster plate 11.

The adjustable bearing plate B comprises a bearing plate properindicated at 33, and a plurality of shims 34 upon which the bearing late33 rests, the bearing plate and shims being of a'size so as to iitsungly in he central compartment 24 provided. thereor. v

The anti-friction element C, as shown, is in the form of a cylindricalrolleradapted to roll upon the bearingplate 33, said roller being ofslightly less width than the distance between the inset portions 25-25of the side walls.

The centering means D comprise a saddle 35, followers 36-36, resilientVor yieldable means 37-37, and detachable connecting members or housingsS8-38. The saddle 35 is of rectangular formation having side portions39-39 and end portions 40-40, the end portions 40 each having a curvedyface which engages the anti-friction element C above the central axisthereof as indicated at 41, the end portions 40 below the curved facesbeing vertically arranged as indicated at 42. Each end portion 4:0 ofthesaddle 35 is provided on its 'outervface-with a centrally disposedhorizontally extending hollow boss 43, which projects from theendvportion 4:0

a suitable distance.

Mounted upon the hollow boss 43 at each side of the saddle is one of thefollowers 36.

Each follower is provided with a central opening for the reception ofthe boss 43, the

forward face of the follower abutting theV rear face of the end portion40 of the saddle. The rear face of the follower is provided with ahollow cylindrical extension 44, the inner diameter of the extension 44being somewhat greater than the exterior diameter of the boss` 43, theexternal diameter of the extension 44 being of suoli extent as toslidably fit within a cylindrical Arecess 45 formed in the connectingmember or housing 38,. The eXterioricoiitour of the housing orconnecting member 38 is such as to lit snugly within the chamber 2 8 of.the retainer, the housing being provided at its rear face with a roundedsocket 46 adapted to accommodate or interengagewith the projection 30upon the adjacent end wall of the retainer. The inner surface of the endwall of the housing 38 is provided with a boss 47, and mounted upon theboss 47 and upon the hollow boss 43. on'the saddle is a coiled spring37, said spring at its end bearing upon the follower 36,'and atits'outeiend bearing upon the end wall of the connecting member orvhousing 38. The construction ofthe centerin means at both ends of theVbearing are identically similar and the same referenceV characters willbe utilized to designate like partis of both.

In operation, assuming the anti-.friction element' C to be moving underload toward thel right as viewed in Fig. 1, the saddle 35 will becarried therewith, moving lthe follower 361 in tliel'saine direction oftravel, which follower acts upon the spring 37 to compress the sameagainst the vrear wall of the housing or connecting member 38 which isin abutment withthe right hand end wall 2l ofthe retain-V er.4 Duringthis action the spring at the left handfen'd of the housing, and thelefts hand follower, will be held from following the saddleby reason ofengagement of the ends of the vfollower with the abutments 26 and 27' onthe side walls ofY the housing. The energy stored in the right handspring will serve to return the anti-friction element to centralpositionf Operation of theA anti-friction ele-l ment in the reversedilCCtOll Wm. bring about a reversalt of the operation ofthe parts'ofthe centeringmechanism` as will be understood. AIl Vhen it is desiredvtol adjust the vertical height of the antifriction element C, it isnecessary only to compress 'the connecting members '38#38. towardv4 eachother sufficient# ly to permit the bosses 30 on'the'retainer to slideout of the sockets 4 6 Vin the end walls `of' the members 38-38, theentire Vcentering means being then removed, thus freeing the roller,which may be then removed, and eX- pesing the bearing plate in suchmanner that sliims may be inserted or removed from be-' into theretainer and pressed downwardly un til thel bosses 30 again reengagewith the sockets 46 of the housings 3,8;38; after'w-hich the roller willbemaiiit'ain'ed in central posiytion when free from load and retained inassembled relation with respect to the retainer byv reason of.engagement of thesaddle at points on the anti-friction element above thecentral asie, thereof., the dfferenee vin height of the anti-frictionelement due to the change in adjustment 0f the vertical. height ef theheerngrlete heine eeeemmedated h'y the rela-4l tive vertical movement ofthe teller with. reference ,tothe saddle. Y Y. p

By. the above deeer-hed arrangement it will; be ,appreciated that anadjustable bearing plate is provided permitting adjustment of; thevertical height oftheroller', and: that centering means are utilizedwhich are insertable and detachable with reference; to the retainer .asan assemblage, and when in operative por' sition not Only-y return theanti-friction ele,-

ment to centered position when free from f load, ,but maintain the samein assembled re-v lation with the bearing. f

While I have herein shownnd: described what I now considerthe preferredmannery of carrying out the invention, the saine is merely illustrative,and VI contemplate all changes and modications that come Within the.scope of the claims appended hereto. f Y' Iclaim: Y,

l. In an anti-friction bearing, the combina? tion with a mounting; of anadjustablebearf, ing 'plate associated with said mounting; ananti=friction element adapted'to move back and forth upon said bearingplate.; and-means for centering said element 'when free vfrom, loadincluding spring followers, spring abut-k ment elements, and springsinterposed between said abutment elements and'said fol-L lowers, 'saidcentering means being bodily re.- i

movable as a unit from 'said mounting; co-opera'ting means on saidabutmentt elements and mounting held engagedv by said springs forholding 'the vparts assembled.

2. In an anti-friction bearing-,fthe com: bination with amounting;having anchoring means thereon, said mounting .being provided;z with abearing plate; of anti-friction element movbly mounted onsaidbearngplate.;and centering mechanism for. said antifriction elementadapted to maintam said; anti-friay tion element in assembled relation,with mounting, said mechanism j including, abutand nient members andvyieldable. means, f

abutment members engaging! the., ancllop'g means .toholdthe` meehensmeperatrely as sembled, and said yielding means engaging the abutmentmembers to hold said members engaged with the anchoring means to locksaid members to the mounting.

3. In an anti-friction'bearing, the combination with a mounting; of ananti-friction element adapted to move back and forth on said mounting;centering means for said antifriction element, said centering meansincluding a saddle fitting over said anti-friction element, abutmentmembers at opposite sides of the saddle and connecting elements betweensaid saddle and abutment members, and spring means between said abutmentmembers and saddle; and means for detachably connecting said abutmentmembers to said mounting, said saddle having means thereontelescopically engaging with said connecting elements, and saidconnecting elements being telescoped with said abutment members. Y

a. In an anti-friction bearing of the cha-racter described, thecombination with a retainer provided with a bearing surface, of ananti-friction element adapted to move back and forth on said bearingsurface; of followers disposed at either side of said antifrict-ionelement; of yieldable means interposed between said followers and meanson said mounting whereby said yieldable means bear against saidfollowers; a saddle fitting over said anti-friction element and havingslidable engagement with said followers; and stops associated with saidmounting and adapted to permit movement of each of said followers in onedirection, and prevent movetion'with a retainer provided with side andend walls, said side walls being inwardly offset to provide abutments,and the end walls being offset to provide recesses; a verticaladjustable bearing plate; an anti-friction element adapted to move backand forth with respect to said retainer upon said bearing plate; asaddle fitting over said anti-friction element; followers slidablymounted with respect to said saddle, said followers being adapted tocooperate with the side wall abutment of said bearing to limit inwardmovement of said followers; housings arranged at opposite sides of saidanti-friction element, said end walls and said housings havinginterengaging parts detachable .when moved in one direction; andresilient means interposed between each of said followers and therelated housing, said resilient means operating to center said elementwhen free fr om load and to maintain the inter-engaging means betweensaid housings and the end walls of said retainervin operative relation.

6. In an anti-friction bearing, the combination with a mounting providedwith a bearing surface, said mountinghaving spaced abutment meansthereon; of an anti-friction spring follower and corresponding abutmentmember having interengaging means thereon l to prevent displacement ofthe same relative to each other in a vertical direction, said springfollower and anti-friction element embracing member being interengagedto prevent relative vertical displacement thereof, said abutment membershaving shouldered engagement with the abutment means of the mounting andbeing yieldingly held in engagement by said spring means to preventvertical removal of the abutment members,

. said means for centering the anti-friction element and holdingl thesame assembled with the mounting being bodily removable from the housingupon displacement of said abutment members toward each other anddisengaging the abutment members from the abutment means, therebypermitting removal of the anti-friction element. v

7 In an anti-friction bearing, the combination with an anti-frictionelement; ofv a container for said element relatively to which saidelement is movable; means for retaining said element within thecontainer, including a set of detachably connected housings at each sideof said element, one housing of each set having a seat and saidcontainer having retainingj projections engaging respectively within theseats of the housings; and yielding means within'each set of housingsfor forcing the 'same apart and holding the projections engaged with theseats to maintain the housing assembled with the container.

8. In an anti-friction bearing, the combination with a support adaptedto be secured to a railway car bolster, said support having a bearingsurface; of an anti-friction element movable on said bearing surface;means for maintaining the anti-frictionV element assembled with thesupport, said means including centering means having engagement with theanti-friction element.v and holding the same against removal, anchoringmembers having shouldered engagement with the support, spring meanscooperating with said centering means and anchoring members foractuating the centering means and yieldingly holding the anchoringmembers in shouldered engagement with the support, and cooperating guidemeans carried entirely by said first named means for holding the partsthereof aligned and against separation when assembled with the support,said anohoring members being displaceable against the resistance of thespring means to permit disengagement of the anchoring members from thesupport to allow bodily removal as a. unit of the means for maintainingthe anti-friction element assembled with the sup- Y ort. P In witnessthat I `claim the foregoingy I have hereunto subscribed my name this28th day of January, 1926. l Y

. JOHN F. OCONNOR.

